Space and Place

The study of space and place is an interdisciplinary field of academic research crossing over fields such as archaeology, architecture, geography, feminism, philosophy, politics and the creative and visual arts. Questions of space and place are fundamental to our very existence, what Heidegger terms ‘being-in-the world.’ Constructions of space and place function to delimit the Self from the Other, whether within the urban sprawl of the modern metropolis in which gated communities are becoming all too prevalent or within the postcolonial endeavour of globalisation and continuing territorial fights over contested spaces in Europe, Asia, the Far East and Europe. The project aims to bring together people with an investment in the study of space and place, whether from an academic, practice-based or lay perspective, in order to form a community and network of people committed to cutting-edge and innovative inter- and multi-disciplinary research.

The project will explore a number of key core themes including:

1. New approaches to the study of space and place

2. The politics and philosophy of space and place

3. Representations of space and place across and within cognate disciplines

4. The geographical and architectural construction of space and place

5. Global and local perspectives on space and place

6. The relationship between time and spatiality

7. Gender, sexuality and race and lived experiences of space and place

Related themes will also be identified for development and exploration. It is anticipated that a series of associated research projects will develop out of our deliberations.